Electrical panels, also known as main service panels, electrical main enclosures, or breaker boxes, are found in residential, commercial and industrial structures. Electrical panels provide a primary connection point for electricity supplied to the structure from an electrical utility, and contain numerous breakers and individualized terminations for electrical cable. That cable often takes the form of non-metallic sheathed cables (NM and NMC, also known as Romex-type cables, and SER cables) as often found in residential structures, or as conduit-protected cables as often found in commercial and industrial structures. Examples of electrical panels are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,249; U.S. Pat. No. 7,381,907; U.S. Pat. No. 7,405,923; U.S. Pat. No. 7,616,432; and U.S. D702198.
A primitive panel wire support found in many structures in the United States is a 2×4 or 2×6 that spans between two studs, approximately 12-inches above an electrical panel suspended between those two studs. The 2×6 is oriented with the nominal 6-inch dimension running up and down the corresponding wall, and cables or conduit are stapled to the exposed larger face of the 2×6. More specific wire supports are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,996,943 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,505,858. In new construction, a popular method for supporting wires is to cut a 2×6 piece of wood the size of the width of the panel and toenail said piece of wood between the studs above a panel 12 inches. Then lay the wires over the top of that 2×6 and individually staple wires against that piece of wood. Problems include the time and the effort involved, and possible damage to the Romex-type cables and wires before they reach the panel.
Other types of supports for wires, cables, and conduit are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,128; U.S. Pat. No. 6,313,406; U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,766; U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,644; U.S. Pat. No. 7,347,401; U.S. Pat. No. 7,608,782; U.S. D407963; and U.S. D663274.
The disclosures of these and all other publications referenced herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.